Roach: Mystery man not an IBF official

Updated: Monday, 09 Jan 2012 14:30

Freddie Roach believes Mustafa Ameen is not a member of any boxing organisation

Amir Khan's trainer Freddie Roach claims he knows the 'mystery man' seen at ringside during the Briton's controversial defeat to Lamont Peterson last month - and does not believe he is an International Boxing Federation official.

Khan on Thursday used his Twitter account to post a series of images of the man, seen wearing a dark hat, and to draw attention to his movements around the judges' table during the December fight in Washington, where Peterson won Khan's IBF and World Boxing Association titles after a disputed points decision.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, said yesterday the man had been identified as Mustafa Ameen, an IBF official who was given accreditation for the fight despite not being directly involved in it.

However, Roach says he personally knows Ameen and that he had no need to be ringside.

"He comes to my gym," Roach told BBC Sport. "He came to the [US] Olympic training centre and I actually had him removed one time.

"I told the coaches, 'There's no need for him to be here'.

"He goes to gyms and talks to other people's fighters.

"But he does know the boundaries because he doesn't go after my fighters - but he does talk to other people's fighters and he's been told not to a couple of times, even here in my gym."

Roach continued: "[Ameen] has no credentials; he's not a member of any boxing organisation.

"There's no reason for him to be at ringside.

"Why he was ringside and why he was in the ring afterwards celebrating and so forth I have no idea."

Schaefer also claimed yesterday the WBA had offered Khan a rematch with the American, and urged the IBF to follow suit.

Roach agrees that, because of the possible interference, the fight should be declared a no contest and a rematch held.

He added: "You've got a guy sitting beside [Michael Welsh, World Boxing Association supervisor] that's talking about who's winning rounds and so forth - we can only speculate on what they were talking about but most likely they are talking about the fight.

"And people get influenced by other people easily. And that's why the rules are that no-one but officials are at ringside."